The Moment Of Truth
by Blitz.Magister
Summary: Aya Brea from the CTI thought about a lot when the Twisted came and her memories came back. But one mystery was always her husband, Kyle. Set before, and during Episode 4. Spoilers and head-canon. Reviews are helpful, 'cos it's my first story!
1. Aya  Why?

**The Moment Of Truth**

_A/N: I warn, I'm writing this off of the top of my head, but I'll try to keep grammar and spelling in check! Also, this is my first fanfiction... So be gentle! Probably going to be a one-shot too..._

Summary: Before the North Shallows Tower Mission, Aya contemplates Kyle's "betrayal", and wonders what might have drove herself to marry him. (This assumes Aya is clever enough to figure out she _was_ going to get married to Kyle at this point)

I do not own The 3rd Birthday or any of the characters in this story, just the writing itself. Oh, and the computer I wrote it on... The rest are all (c) Square Enix (or SquareSoft)

**Kyle x Aya, obviously**

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><p>I sat there on the dusty couch in Maeda's house, watching the news article about this N. Shallows Tower Babel, which lost my interest after the first "New York, It's the Moment Of Truth" and I couldn't help but let my mind wander. On this path of meandering, my thoughts came to Kyle Madigan. He was so... Mysterious... He never really spoke much about what he thought, just cryptic remarks that told me nothing. Now that I think about it, he never said anything about his relation to Eve. Just that he couldn't let her go.<p>

Why would that be?

I twiddled my thumbs, my attention slipping to the simple band on my ring finger. Of course, the two of us were meant to be wed at some point, but why? What might I ever have seen in that manipulative man? Was he ever important to me? He _must_ have been. I never would marry someone because he tricked me somehow. In those dreams, my memories, I was always filled with joy when I saw his face.

But then again, I don't even know who I was back then. My memories of just before I joined the CTI are very _very _foggy, but I didn't know who I was at all. Maybe I'm a different person?

I winced as I recalled a part of my memory, when we were all shot on my wedding day. No. I must truly have loved him... To see him in pain was one of the most horrible things to watch... I wanted to run up to him and stroke his hair and reassure him everything would be okay, why I didn't in the first place was still unknown to me... I was shot shortly after, so I might not have had time to react.

The news article ended.

"I can handle the rest here. Maeda, you take cover."

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><p>I Overdived into a soldier at the back of a crowd of Tanks and Soldiers at the foot of the N. Shallows Tower.<p>

Kyle... He's here. I know it.

I looked to the top of the coiled mess of tentacles and brickwork. He's there.

New Twisted sprouted from the base of the Babel. I clenched tighter on my gun.

Well, here goes nothing.

You _will _tell me everything you know. Now, It's the moment of truth, Kyle.

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><p>A short (and hopefully sweet) story in the world of The 3rd Birthday.<p>

Hope you like, and please, Review if you can and tell me what you think! And errors, and I'll correct them for you!

~12thPie


	2. Kyle  Memories in Pieces

**The Moment of Truth – Chapter 2 : Kyle – Memories in Pieces**

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><p><em>AN: There is another A/N at the bottom... But this is just to say, I'm still alive! And thank you for taking interest in my story! Oh, and, Kyle's hard to write as... So don't kill me!_

_Reviewers: _

xSummonerYunax : Thank you! And I put a bit of a twist on you're idea there. ;D Hope you don't mind! :D

BearyBeary: Sound advice there. Thank you! I will keep practicing. :)

GroundZeroFirework: Haha! I will keep writing and I'm so happy you love it. :D

_Disclaimer: (Everyone should know the drill) I don't own Parasite Eve, The 3rd Birthday (Well, I have a copy of the game...) or any of the characters mentioned in this story except for anything not fully explained in the game, which I made up for myself. Got that? Don't sue me! D:_

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><p>Her.<p>

She always got me to my senses. It was her voice, I swear it.

So when I found myself standing in a plaza of sorts, with a gun pointed at me, I was kinda alarmed.

"Aya?" My response was a glare. Had she forgotten? "You... don't know who I am?"

More glares. Our stare off lingered. I could hear Eve shuffling behind me.

"Look, why don't you put that thing away?" I pleaded. Being shot was not on my to-do list. She shuffled in frustration.

"You have to let her go." Eve?

I looked down. "You know I'd like to, but I can't." I sighed. "I wish I could."

Aya shot to the skies. Eve looked at me, fear evident on her features. The handgun was once again pointed at me, two hands supporting the trigger.

My eyebrows furrowed.

"There's just no way I can do that." Eve... Eve is...

Aya turned to Eve. "Eve, over here!"

Did she really think I was a danger to her? Eve sidestepped and faded away. Back to where she had appeared from. This sent Aya panicking. My attention spanned once again to that handgun. I put my hand to my heart, wondering what had happened to the mind of my fiancée. "Are you gonna use that?" My worries were interuppted.

"Stay there! What was that about?" she yelled. "Where is Eve? Where did she go?"

My arm fell down.

…

"You're sister Eve is dead." I stated. "Her soul wanders through the gaps of time."  
>Aya <em>finally<em> lowered the gun. "She's... dead?"

What? She doesn't... "You mean you forgot?"

With that, the "Ascent" was starting. I was well aware (somehow) that Aya wasn't really there, just her consciousness was sent to the past. Aya was returning to her time. I started to see her as a soldier. I stepped back. "I promise you'll see her." More steps."I'll meet you at the Babel in the red fog." What was I saying? A... Babel? I turned and walked away.

Aya's voice spread through my head. "Who... are you?"

So she really didn't know.

Something in my chest skipped a few beats.

"Kyle Madigan." I thought. That's the second time I've had to introduce myself to her, but I'm not lying this time.

I continued to more fading memories.

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><p>Somewhere in the Babel infested Grand Central Station was the next time I <em>remember <em>seeing Aya again. And it was all too fleeting. I did promise to see her though. The Babel in the Red Fog. Operation Red Fog.

"Aya? Do you remember now?" The soldier in front of me slumped to the ground. She'd already left?

"Help her! Help Eve!" Ah. So she was leaving. Red spheres danced around.

"Don't worry! I'll protect our little princess!" Without a doubt, I'd keep Eve safe.

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><p>More blanks. I'm getting all too tired of them now. This time, It was present day.<p>

Blood, all over the floor.

Sparks flying from a machine upstairs.

I saw people lying on chairs.

Had I killed them?

Ggh... What's happening to me?

I heard a _whirr_ in the background. I twisted my head to the offending object. A security camera. So I'd been caught. A smirk crept across my face.

I left the building, standing on the balcony. I overlooked the ruins of Manhattan. I saw a Babel with purple tips merged with a skyscraper known as the North Shallows Tower.

She was there. Or at least, she _will _be.

I ran my fingers through my hair. I really need to set things straight...

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><p><em>AN: Well, I hope you all like chapter 2! I tried to keep Kyle in character as much as possible, but since he's kinda vague and mysterious so it's difficult. So please, correct me if you need to! :S... I kinda wrote this from a sunbed, but now I've typed it up I'm pretty sure I haven't repeated myself... Sorry if you think it was jumpy, but I honestly think Kyle isn't in control of most of his actions in T3B. I was a bit of a swot, and read ALL of the note files, and it turns out Kyle is the one who made the CTI murders. And he was caught on the CCTV. Or "Twisted/High One" Kyle as I refer to _that _Kyle. (Also, I was lazy and really can't think of what he was doing when Aya was on missions. He can't be carting Eve along _everywhere_, can he?) I hope that clears up a plot hole (as there are many) in T3B, and my story too. Reviews appreciated and next chapter should be up later today, if I type it up quick enough. :P (the next chapter will be the ending, though I might end up writing an epilogue in the distant future.)_

_Thanks for reading!_

_- Pie_


	3. Aya Nuke

**The Moment Of Truth**

**Chapter 3 – Nuke**

_A/N: I'm just going to get on with this... Here goes something!_

_(Oh yeah, Aya POV, and... first time writing an action-ish sequence. Con-Crit please?)_

_Don't on T3B, or any characters mentioned from here on out... No sueing!_

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><p>Right. This was the last batch of C4 to set, and that turret has to stay. After that, we're all done here. Oh, and I have to "run" (or dive, in my case) away before they all detonate. This Babel better do it's job and blow up.<p>

Twisted were coming at me from left and right, so I dived to the soldier in the corner, nearest some C4. I planted the ones on the side wall, and moved onto the ones on the main pillar. A Rover Twisted decided it wanted to try and swipe me, so I got into the turret soldier and let hell loose on the rest of the Twisted in the area. The soldier I saved had got on to planting the last of the C4 by the time I got out of the turret.

We made our way towards the exit.

The Babel had blocked our exit.

"What?"

"No..."

"This is it, then..."

Damn. I- I had to get out.

"At least we'll die heroes."

I can't _die!_ I need answers!

"I just want to tell my son I love him."

These soldiers were just giving up?

A shout came from outside.

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Cavalry 141. I've lost control of the aircraft! Damnit! Some reinforcement!"

A soldier looked up, then back to their boots.

Everything went blank for a minute. I heard crashes, cracks. Was this death? Maybe I'd see Eve again...

I opened my eyes. No way... The 141 had crashed. Another helicopter hovered behind. I'd hate to leave all these soldiers behind, but... Duty calls.

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><p>I dived into the helicopter known as the Bahamut 524. I only hoped it lived up to it's grand title. <em>(AN: 1. Where have I heard that before 2. Bahamut is known as the King of The Skies or something like that. Had to put an FF reference in there somewhere!) _I flew around the monstrous Babel, firing at Spitters trying to knock me out of the sky with an oddly blood-like substance...

No... focus, Aya!

The sight of New York was also stupidly distracting. I saw a few Worms chasing some soldiers and a few missiles sorted them out.

Securing air supremacy didn't take too long. Maeda informed me that Madigan was on the observation deck. Up I went, all too quickly. I could hear the C4 detonating. When the smoke cleared, The Babel was still standing... Some brilliant plan.

I knew I had no more reinforcements, so I kept them alive, even though Worms ran rampant on the upper floor. The next room was clear, so we made it into a safe room. We got news that the military was going to launch a full out nuclear assault on New York. So it was all hopeless. I figured that I would go and confront Kyle. I needed answers if I was to rest easy, so I head upstairs.

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><p>Madigan was overlooking the wreckage of Manhattan. My crosshair found it's way to Kyle's back. His head lifted when I edged closer.<p>

"So you're lost in time, huh?"

What the hell? Lost in time? How am _I _lost in time?

He did an about face, and his eyes had a glint that I'd only heard of in heartless killers... and seen in the movements of Twisted deathblows. The cocky, doom-inducing glint that severely unnerved me. He walked slowly towards me, smirk playing on his mouth. He started spouting rubbish at me, stuff you would only read in a romance novel. His voice came out smooth; unnaturally so. He lowered my gun and looked me in the eye.

Why was I noticing the chocolate hazelnut color in his eyes _now _of all times?

Well, if he wanted to play hard ball, Brea can play along too.

I tilted my head up to face him.

"_Kyle..._"

I shot him in the foot.

"I'm not falling for that again." I voiced. Heck, why did I want to marry this _sicko_? He was walking backwards, laughing, glint more prounounced than ever. I shot him until the round of ammo ran out. Can't he just die and stop haunting my fragmented memories? He had stopped laughing when he fell from view. Was he dead?

An unnatural swirling glow raised.

What? How? Is he like Emily, Cray and Gabrielle?

A form started to appear from the glow.

Yes. He is. And I have no choice but to end him.

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><p>In the 3rd Battalion AN helicopter, the gun was overheating and I was pretty much out of missiles. The floral tailed Twisted Kyle had transformed into was still kicking. Very hard, in fact. I'd lost 3 helicopters and 2 troops from just 3 different transformations into an invincible state. The spinning blades he threw hurt, and he'd thrown a lot. He started circling the tower, laughing. I overdived into the remaining soldier on the deck, and used his assault rifle. That really hit where it hurt. He staggered, and after imploding him from the inside I stopped to catch my breath. I was still too weak to attack. I thought I'd be done then and there. No more soldiers, no more helicopters. I was alone. I had 3 minutes before the nuclear missiles were launched.<p>

Madigan didn't attack. He just floated there. The Twisted could have killed me but instead I heard Kyle's voice.

"W-Where am I? Aya? Is that you?"

The Twisted writhed it's midsection.

"I just don't want to hurt you."

I stood there, dumbfounded. Was this another trick? But Gabrielle and Emily had acted similarly when they were on the brink. Was he coming to his senses?

"Let's end this."

He... wanted me to shoot him? I switched to a sniper rifle. I shot it square. He staggered again. I have to know if I'm doing the right thing? Talk to me, Kyle!

"It hurts... my soul."

Being a Twisted... must have destroyed him.

I Overdived, and landed the final blow.

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><p>I arrived in that silver place, with drifting red orbs. Kyle reached out his hand in pain, angst evident on his face as he, too, seperated into red spheres. I shielded my eyes. I don't need to see more death. Eve's face filled my head. I feel her- her presence. She's here?<p>

"There you are! Eve!"

More memories flowed back. Most are what I have seen before. The shooting, then-

Huh?

I picked up a handgun. I aimed at some SWATs, then to Eve. I blacked out. I heard a shot. I was standing over a limp, lifeless body. Eve's limp, lifeless...

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><p>"I didn't- or did I?" I looked around in shock. I was back on the Tower. I was worried. Big time.<p>

I heard a grunt and a sigh from behind me. Kyle! I ran over to him.

"Aya, is that you?" More coughing. "I wanted to protect you. But... the Twisted... they took over my body."  
>That explained so much. I knew Kyle couldn't have killed Blank.<p>

He sighed again. He was dying.

"What have I done? Kyle, how did this- Why did this-?" I was panicking... he sat there, looking paler. I looked down. He moved his head to the side and back.

I couldn't take it any longer. I shook his shoulder vigorously.

"Kyle, answer me!" I shouted.

I can't lose him! Not now!

He raised his hand to my cheek. I held his wrist. He was going. "I found it." The words were little more than a whisper. I looked down, feeling the fleeting warmth of his hand. "Eternity... is inside of you." His voice was slowing. Kyle? Please!

His head dropped to my shoulder. His hand left. His breathing stopped. No!

I cradled him, and buried my nose into his hoodie, crying. I heard Maeda on the radio, but I was too busy sobbing to notice that or the ground shaking. The nuclear strike?

I no longer cared. I loved him. I always did. It's just horrid to think I only knew when it was too late.

Sweet dreams...

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><p><em>AN: So yeah! Big long finale chapter! (in comparison) Thank you to my reviewers! I might right another T3B one-shot in the future, so there's the heads up!_

_Hope this all makes sense... :S This chapter was all set during Episode 4, if it wasn't very obvious (Helicopters, tanks and sniper rifles? Favourite episode.) and all canon, methinks... Hints and tips for improvement? NEEDED! So hit that review button! Please? For me?_

_Written mostly from memory (ie. The Cavalry 141 bit *pride*) and the dialogue is from the game. PM me if you don't understand the story or the game for that matter, I don't mind explaining._

_Hope you read some of my other stuff (as and when I post, of course)_

_-12thPie!_


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